Twenty-five officers of the Somali Police Force (SPF) have concluded a ten-day Training of Trainers (ToT) course on human rights, to equip them with the requisite knowledge and skills to respect and protect the rights of citizens.
Facilitated by the police component of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), the training which was attended by police officers drawn from various departments, was organised with the support of the Somalia federal Ministry of Internal Security, UNDP and the SPF.
During the training, the participants were taken through a number of modules including introduction to Human Rights, International Human Rights, Islam, and use of force and police professional standards among others.
In line with the ATMIS police mandate of supporting the service delivery of the SPF, the training seeks to build a competent pool of trainers, who will in turn train 300 regional officers in Hirshabelle State to entrench the rule of law and ensure peace and stability in the region.
“Training and supporting the SPF is one of the strategies of ATMIS to achieve the objectives in line with the mandate and the revised Concept of Operations (CONOPs) of assisting the Somali Security Forces to provide security to create a safe and secure environment for peace building and reconciliation,†said ATMIS Police Acting Training Coordinator, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Sarah Kabaso at the closing event.
ACP Kabaso highlighted the timeliness of the training, coming at a time when ATMIS is preparing to hand over full security responsibilities to the Somali security forces (SSF).
“ATMIS police in collaboration with other partners considered implementing this programme in order to build the capacity of the relevant agencies in readiness for the upcoming transfer of responsibilities,†She noted.
In his remarks, the Director General in the Federal Ministry of Internal Security Yusuf Ali Mohamed, said the training on human rights is in line with the capacity building mandate of the ministry. “This is not the first training we are conducting.
It is one of the numerous trainings that have been conducted for the SPF to improve their capacity by enhancing their knowledge on human rights to enable them to respect and promote human rights when executing their duties,†said the Director General.
The ministry has already begun preparations to deploy the trainers to Hirshabelle State, where they will conduct human rights training for the regional forces. The Director of Training and Planning at the General Kahiye Police Academy, Brig. Gen. Hassan Alasow, lauded ATMIS for the continued support towards capacity building of the SPF.
“We appreciate the contribution of ATMIS, especially in coming up with this ToT for the instructors as well as offering vital training to the officers at the academy,†Brig. Gen. Alasow noted. The participants noted that the training will improve the execution of their duties, as they embark on training the regional forces in an effort to enhance the observance of human rights in Somalia.
“I have learnt that the police are usually the first point of reference for the community in the pursuit for justice. When a person is abused or is subjected to injustice in the community, the first point of redress is the police,†noted 2nd Lt. Abdifatah Fiqi Abdullahi.
According to Lt. Hawa Abdi Adde from the SPF medical department, the skills and knowledge gained from the human rights training is beneficial in shaping her attitude towards people.
